Taking a break

 I'm going to take a little break on the blog until after sometime after the start of the new year.  Not that I have a huge readership to tell.  But maybe I state it mostly for me!  The rest of December will be earmarked for just making it through the dull days that follow Christmas.  I am ready for a new year to begin, even if nothing much changes in the world overnight.

I will be slowly making my way through all of my Christmas candy, one small treat at a time, as I sit and work on the crossword puzzle pages my mother bundled up for me from the Houston Chronicle.  Goodness there is a lot of sugar in this house!  Not only did I bake treats to set out, but so did LA and Bubbie's girlfriend.  Plus, a Colin Street fruitcake may have hopped into my cart while grocery shopping on Monday {half off - how could I not?}

Happy New Year to you reading this!

See you then,

Gina

Slightly Less Empty Nest Menu #71

Something comforting to me during this strange time: a quilt my mother let me choose from her collection.  The name of it is "Peony" and it has this quirky Christmas wreath print on the back.  My mother says she labored over the quilting, which seems very detailed, and it is one of the last applique quilts she has made, due to the difficulty.  I love it and am wrapping myself in it nightly, just like a child would do.

Monday - Bruschetta Meatloaf, baked potatoes, fresh veggie*

Tuesday - Tilapia, fresh veggie, garlic toast

Wednesday - Pot of beans with smoked ham hock, corn muffins

Thursday - Sausage Hashbrown Casserole, fruit

Friday - Swedish Ham Balls, cabbage, black eyed peas, rolls, leftover birthday cake, bubbly {I leave for work at 2:30 p.m.}

Saturday - Crockpot Apricot Chicken over rice, fresh veggie

Sunday - Who knows.  Probably a leftovers smorgasbord.

*fresh veggies this week will be an assortment of kale, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, green beans, brussels sprouts

Happy New Year!

Gina

Christmas 2020 treats

On Saturday, I bounded into the kitchen like a deranged elf and spent a few hours making Christmas treats.  My plan was to have been done with all of it by Monday and I was waaay ahead of the game.  Some of the treats didn't turn out quite as planned and I was feeling 2020ish about it, but then I put them all on a pretty plate and thought "I actually did GOOD".

I scrubbed the kitchen down and called it done.

The cookie tray is our traditional dessert for Christmas Eve , since we have a birthday cake for Bubbie on Christmas Day.  {and as long as I'm his mother he will get a birthday that is separate and apart from Christmas!}  I made NINE different treats for Christmas - some of them going into containers to give as gifts, others to place on this tray.

Notice the brown triangles in the middle of the container?  Those were supposed to be gingerbread cookies, but I ran out of Crisco and subbed butter, then I realized I did not have quite enough flour.  I forged on and made some very delicious ginger thins!  After I filled these containers I decorated them with stickers and To/From tags.

The above containers are for my peeps to take home with them!  All in all, a morning well-spent.  But next year I will take stock of:

*what pantry baking supplies I need to replenish

*how much time I want to spend on my feet in the kitchen at any one time

*containers I need (some of these are from when Hubby and I delivered meals for Easter and are not all that festive...)

Have you finished all your Christmas baking yet?

Gina
 

Christmas Week Slightly Less Empty Menu #70

Wow!  Seventy menus since we became *almost* Empty Nesters!

Monday - Crockpot Crack Chicken Chili, Fritos

Tuesday - Mexican Tilapia, kale

Wednesday - Cheese Enchiladas, chopped salad {assemble cookie tray}

Thursday - Spiral Glazed Ham, Overnight Mac and Cheese, Arkansas Green Beans, rolls, Christmas Cookies* for dessert! 

Friday - Breakfast Casserole and fruit for Brunch.  Dinner will be Hamburger Soup with garlic bread {mom works 3-11:30}

Saturday - Pizza, Caesar Salad, birthday cake like this for my birthday boy!

Sunday - Easiest Italian Chicken, garlic toast {puzzle doings, wine drinking}

This year's Christmas cookie tray: Dark Chocolate Cranberry Fudge, Fig Cookies, Russian Teacakes, Ginger thins*

******

Merry Christmas to you and Yours!

*that's what you get when you sub butter for Crisco in your favorite gingerbread cookie mix.  Oh, and are short a half cup of so of flour...

Gina

5 thing Friday - tacos, 12 Fox, Christmas decor, books, Hubby

Once again...no particular order...

Hubby and I enjoy having our free choice eating days on the weekends, but I feel like that probably needs to change after the first of the year.  Both of us need to focus on being healthy!  He will (eventually?) need to fit back into his work pants and I am going to be learning a new thing or two at work (stay tuned).

But this new taco place in Liberty Hill was a great stop for a recent weekend lunch.  Grilled chicken tacos made with handmade tortillas and Mexican street corn!  I mean, are tacos really all that unhealthy?  Please say no.

The scene from the porch at 12 Fox and the beer - two really good things about Sunday evening.  There might also have been live music and a friendly brewery dog wandering about.

For some reason, this was the only pic I took of the ornaments I made for the wineries that we are members of.  I found the large plastic balls at Michael's, pulled the corks out of my massive collection, added some greenery or sparkly bits, and added a bow and hanger.  It was a very fun little art project - easy to do and inexpensive and all of them acted like it was a treasure!

I swear I am done decorating my house. And P.S., next year I am going to do it up bigger.  {I figure we will have a lot to celebrate.  That's my hope.}

I truly am, but I added these berry and bell picks to the mantle swag because I saw them in JoAnn and loved them.  Incidentally, that swag is actually two garlands wired together.

The reindeer in the bookcase love them, too.

We visited the Esperanza Winery tasting room on Saturday and marveled at all of the winemaker's books.  She has such a cozy place!  It's like an antique shop/library reading room/wine bar.  I borrowed an epic book - Texas, by James Michener.  Take it one chapter at a time was her advice to me.  That's pretty great life advice too, I'd say.

Things Hubby loves: his bling, his Santa hat, the color red, this leather vest, me. 

Not in that exact order.

Gina
 

Dried oranges

Years ago I used to make pomander balls out of oranges and cloves.  They smelled so great and were fun to do!  I've been focusing lately on baking Christmas snack gifts so I've been busy with that.  But in between all that snack-making I made a few dried orange slices, intending to use them in a bowl of rustic winter potpourri.  I could purchase these, and I have before because I think they are so pretty, but they are so easy and much cheaper to make myself!  Making them feels like a nice break from all of the strictly Christmas goings-on.

All I did was slice up a large naval orange about 1/4 inch thick, lay out on a cookie sheet, and placed in the oven.  I set the temp to 190 and set a cook timer for 4 hours.  The kitchen smelled pleasantly of orange and it helped to warm my kitchen.  {we've had a cold snap in Austin!}  When I got home from work, Hubby had set the cookie sheet off to the side so he could fix dinner, but the orange slices were perfectly dried. And now to make my rustic winter potpourri! 

I plan on adding cinnamon sticks, and some star anise, along with some dried leaves or spagnum moss, and maybe a few drops of essential oil.  It will stay out all winter and softly scent the room.

Are you doing any non-Christmas crafts?

Gina

Slightly Less Empty Nest Menu #69

 I'm not sure when Bubbie will come home from college for Christmas, but I for sure will be able to feed three people this week.  And I have yet to buy all of the food for Christmas week so I am dreading that...

Monday - Italian Parmesan Chicken Bites, twice bakeds, baby limas

Tuesday - Cowboy Casserole, greens

Wednesday - Tuna Bowls

Thursday - Turkey Sloppy Joes, likely chips

Friday - Last of the Thanksgiving leftovers {Shepherd's Pie}

Saturday - Bruschetta Meatloaf, green beans {delivering gifts this weekend!}

Sunday - Crock Pot Ribs, potato salad, beans

Gina

5 thing Friday - bottle tree, Christmas card pics, dry erase board, plant babies, Christmas angel

In no particular order since the new Blogger interface arranges things like it wants, apparently. 

Every time I see one of these bottle trees at a winery during the holidays it reminds me that I want one.  Someday, someday...This one was at Perissos.  I would also like that planked wall and some barn doors, please.

Christmas card selfies.  Couldn't get Hubby to stop laughing and just smile right.

STOP IT.

We don't do as good at selfie-taking as we used to.  Note to self: buy a selfie stick!  Hello, old folks.

We finally ended up going with a heavily cropped indoor shot that did not include us holding our masks or my tote bag.  Not great but I'm over it.  The cards are in the mail.

Doesn't everyone have a dry erase board on their fridge?  I think I paid a dollar for this one.  At the end of each weekend I take a pic of it.  I don't even write on it neatly.  And it works great.

You'd be amazed at the things I need to remind myself to do...

My biggest and most sensitive plant babies found a new home near the window seat in my kitchen.  I scraped out all of the corks I was using for mulch and washed them.  {I sure did!}  Then I watered the ficus and the olive tree (which is truly struggling), replaced the corks in the pots, and cleaned up my mess.  I paid a whole $5 for that ficus years ago.

The Christmas tree this year is very anti-climactic, but then, so is the holiday season IMHO.

I hauled out the angel that we inherited from my late MIL and it gave me comfort to hang it right here by the tree.  I can feel Marie smiling from heaven, telling me to hang in there and count my blessings.

Better days are coming.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #68

Back to my frugal ways for this week's meals. 

Monday - Pot of pintos with ham hock, corn muffins {Secret Santa week at work begins...}

Tuesday - Meatballs with Linguini and Marinara, broccoli

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken Breast, leftover pintos, Mexican rice

Thursday - Skillet Turkey Burgers, twice bakeds, green beans

Friday - Dr. Martin's Mix, corn

Saturday - Free Choice all day {two wine club pick-ups}

Sunday - Veggie and farfalle soup (use turkey stock) {wrap Christmas gifts today!, eat lunch out}

Gina

Christmas kitchen

I really didn't put out a lot of Christmas in the kitchen this year - there was less time to fuss over it and I needed open spaces to create!  Plus, I didn't want to buy anything new.  {Maybe that's just a symptom of being over this year!}

But simple is the way to go, especially in a small space!

I try to leave it looking just like this (sans the lit candle) when I leave every day.  I think it makes for a nicer transition from work to dinner for both Hubby and I.  

Along with a few other things, I did set out the Santa that MIL gave us many, many years ago.  He always holds candy canes.  There are less people to eat said canes, but they will find their way onto gifts and such, too.

Hubby and I enjoy a hot cuppa at the end of the evening, so I set up a station right by the coffee machines.  This year I added an LED candle on a timer, mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, dissolveable candy cane sticks, and some fruit teas.  Redi-Whip is in the fridge! If I need to move this tray for prep space or whatever, that's easily done.

Since I sit at the kitchen table to make out my lists, the containers and recipes for homemade treats are currently living on the window seat.  But not for long - I have plans to get started on it this weekend.  Some of it will stay at home for us, the rest will be for gifts.  This year I am making:

Cinnamon Pretzels

Cranberry Chocolate Fudge

Fig Cookies

Cheesy Fire Crackers

Crispix Chocolate Bliss (recipe off the box)

Taco Cracker Mix

and another batch of Crispix Mix

I might also make one other Christmas treat for the cookie tray we set out on Christmas Eve, but I feel like this is a good start.  My little kitchen may not be fancy, but it will be a clean and happy place for me to make some fun treats!

Gina

Thanksgiving 2020

Those 5 days I had off at Thanksgiving went by in a bluuurrrr. But it was a happy one!  The day before, I cooked the turkey, got the sides prepped, helped The Girl make an apple pie and cranberry bars, ate pizza, drank wine...and just generally enjoyed the day at home!

  The next morning we headed over to a neighborhood park to walk the track in a virtual 5K Turkey Trot to benefit Caritas of Austin.  And yes, Hubby took the walk seriously, while The Girl and I played with Teddy along the trails in the park!

Did I take any pics of my peeps?  No.  I took a pic of the table, then I put my phone back down and went on with my day.  It was lovely and there was a LOT of very good food!  We had a firepit.  We met LA's daughter and Bubbie's new-ish girlfriend.  Played games. Ate desserts.  Listened to music.

Friday was rainy, and Hubby and I sneaked off to a couple of breweries on our own.  A chicken schnitzel sammie was also enjoyed at brewery #1.

And brewery #2 was on the way home, so we stopped in there for a bit.  Much as we love wineries, there's something to be said for a great craft beer!

When we got home, we had pulled pork that I had going in the crock pot.  I might have made enough food to feed an army.  A lot of it went into my freezer, and my future self will thank me.

A few decorations got put up.  And Hubby was bummed about not getting a real tree.  I love that we didn't traipse over acres of stumps and fire ant mounds to find the perfect tree in drizzly December weather with 5000 of our closest friends...

On Sunday we got up early-ish and  said our goodbyes to The Girl.  Hubby helped Bubbie with a car issue while I did some housework.  Then we sent youngest back off to college and headed to Georgetown to pick up something Hubby ordered on-line (the season of subterfuge begins...), ate a delish Mexican lunch, then headed to Highlands to secure some pipes ahead of the first hard freeze of the season. 

We had some visitors in the pasture behind us - this one isn't sure she likes the looks of me...We enjoyed a firepit, had a bottle of very good wine, and just relaxed before heading home to dinner and early bedtimes.

And now its day three of "back to the grind", but I am so happy I had that time last week to nest, and cook, and see my peeps.  It was a real boost for me!

Gina

Empty Nest #67

Thanksgiving weekend was fun, but not without its share of challenges and I am glad its in the books.  Sometimes, its more fun to look forward to something than to live it.  I didn't make that rule up.

I had a really nice birthday month!  These slippers were part of it, as were some beautiful gold earrings from my girl, lots of eating out, and a Cricut from Hubby. 

I definitely felt the love.

Monday - Grilled Chicken Breast, zucchini with peppers

Tuesday - Eggplant Parmesan, brocc/cauli with carrots

Wednesday - Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes, chop'd salad

Thursday - BBQ Pork Chops, green beans

Friday - Salmon, veggie couscous

Saturday - free choice {might visit my mother}

Sunday - Turkey Redeaux {two wine club pick-up parties today}

*almost all of the veggies this week are frozen with the exception of the eggplant and the zucchini.  I sure am glad I thought to add some to my last chopping trip!

Gina

5 thing Friday - Christmas tree, muffins, Cricut, turkeys, kitchen

Remember that back in September I started getting the Christmas tree together? 

I added more lights to it, took that reindeer off, and added more greenery to help fill in.  The Girl voiced a firm no on the ivy, but I like it.  When its all dolled up, it will be elegant and festive!

I need to stop buying bananas.  Since I shop on Thursday or Fridays now, they go bad over the weekend.  They make delightful muffins with mini chocolate chips, however.  I'm not a big baker, but I do love having these in the fridge to warm up for breakfast.

Hubby bought me a Cricut for my birthday which was very generous of him!  However, it will be some time before I actually get to sit down for an afternoon and PLAY with it to learn it.  My mother sent birthday cash so I need to go get some supplies for it.  This time next year I will be personalizing Christmas gifts!  It fits perfectly next to my computer desk and printer.

Wild turkeys on our county road in Burnet.  I love seeing them.

I make a giant mess in the kitchen each morning as I prep for dinner, pack lunches, and arrange breakfast.  I really don't mind - its a creative thing for me.  And by the time I leave for work, its back to clean and pretty.  Can't wait to get it dolled up for Christmas with a hot chocolate station and some holiday touches.  Stay tuned!

Gina

Preppin' it today

Its prep day for me which means I will have more time to spend with my peeps on Thanksgiving Day.  This year I am doing what I did last year, because I found it works so well!  Brine the bird on Tuesday, roast it on Wednesday, then pop all of the pre-assembled sides into the oven on Thursday.  {a couple of the sides are all ready to cook!} Dinner is on the table faster with less mess in the kitchen!  And though it may seem wasteful, I am using foil pans that I can simply rinse and place into the recycle bin to keep from having to kill the dishwasher!  

I had plans to do something different for the tablescape, but in the end, I just pulled out stuff I already had and arranged it a bit differently, adding in candles and some pretty new (paper) napkins.  {I added a couple of leaves to the table, planning for 9 people, but I'm still not sure if we will have that number.}  We will serve ourselves from the kitchen island then head to the table to eat, saying grace and toasting each other with a glass of wine.  This Thanksgiving may look different in a lot of ways, but we will carry on our tradition of saying what we are each thankful for.  And on Friday we will skip the tree farm and use what we have at home to decorate for Christmas.

Different, but OK.  As a family, we will get through the rest of this year!

Gina

Less Empty Nest Menu #66

I signed up for Apartment Therapy's "the cure" where they give you a task or something to do every day leading up to the holidays.  Then I realized - I already do most of those things....I'm somewhat organized and I clean fairly regularly and there are only two people living here! First up was getting the front room shaped up - I added two leaves in the table, added table pad and tablecloth, swept, replaced the felt chair feet pads, moved the potted plant and extra chair, hauled the tree in from the garage,  then STOPPED.   

You can't do everything in one day. 

It looks darker in here than it really is!

Monday - Crockpot Chili Beans

Tuesday - Dr. Martin's Mix

Wednesday - Take-out pizza

Thursday - Thanksgiving Dinner

Friday - Crockpot Pulled Pork for sammies, potato salad

Saturday - Day trip to Highlands where we will probably grill hot dogs

Sunday - Turkey Soup

The menus are purposely simple and I'm sure no one will go hungry...

Gina

A weekend full of this and that

Starting with working late on Thursday night, I was already tired by the time I got home from buying groceries after work on Friday.  But I had plans to go and do on the weekend and it couldn't be helped!  Also, it was worth it to work late on Thursday night so that I could get Bubbie to the ortho doc in the morning - so far, so good on his wrist.  He gets a custom splint ($$$) this week.  

On Saturday I drove to Brenham bright and early, intending to help my mother with some housework, then meeting a friend for lunch.  As it turns out, the friend had to cancel so I had even more time to spend with my mother, which is a good thing.  I made her a pie,

we enjoyed some chicken salad sandwiches, 

and after a very full morning of sweeping, vacuuming, scrubbing, and cleaning we ate pie and ice cream.  We got some groceries bought, her hair cut, and some laundry done.  There was still so much to do, but I felt like I had helped her make a dent in it.

I was way too tired to drive to Highlands, so Hubby was on his own until the next morning.  I showered, ate some take-out Mexican food, watched about 30 minutes of TV, then passed OUT.  The next morning I drove to Burnet with some cinnamon rolls.  Then we got some of that thicket near the barn cleared away, moved the grills back about two feet, and made plans to build a patio for them to sit on.  I also decorated the little $5 tree I put in the barn.

I placed it on a plant stand so it would be taller and hot-glued some corks around the pot it was in.  I think I will add a few more red ornaments to it.  It makes the Barn a cheery place - this is where we park the folding chairs to relax or watch TV.  We didn't go to a winery or brewery, staying close to Highlands the whole day and eating a charcuterie lunch.  Then drove home at sundown and enjoyed dinner at home.  And yes, I was also tired on Monday morning. 

I think I'm starting to feel the years! Welcome to 60, right?

Gina